Not So Innocent
by river of the sand
Summary: He spent years ignoring it, avoiding it, and pretending he didn't need it. But after mistaking a whorehouse for a hotel, Sasuke realised he had just been fooling himself: of course he wanted sex. Semi-AU and rated M for a reason.
1. Awakening

**Author's Notes****: Welcome to my side project, my beautiful, beautiful, side project... A short reprieve, and a long time coming: its main purpose is to wet my SasuSaku appetite ‒ and hopefully yours too. Yes, that innuendo was intended. I don't know if this is funny enough for the "humour" genre, but there's nothing else that really fits, so it'll do. This isn't canon. Have fun with it – I certainly did. ;)**

–  
**Not So Innocent**  
Chapter One: Awakening.  
–

He couldn't sleep.

He couldn't get it out of his head.

Sasuke Uchiha was the butt of his own joke.

Having ditched the rest of Taka three towns over, he took the opportunity to have some time alone. Those idiots weren't his problem right now, but Sasuke was having another issue. He'd decided to slip into a small town where there were no other ninja, and with a henge on himself, passed as an ordinary civilian. The village he'd wandered into was in the middle of some kind of festival, which was annoying enough, but then every hotel he walked into was turning him away. The vacancies were non-existent due to the influx of visitors from towns as far as the land of iron. A dingy motel and squeaky clean bed and breakfast later, he finally found a tavern with a vacancy.

There was no sign, but he assumed the innkeeper wasn't lying about having plenty of room; apparently, they could fit him, his friends, and any manner of inanimate object that took his fancy. Not that he thought those things important, let alone understood what the hell she meant by that. In hindsight, that innkeeper _had_ been dressed a little too scantily, but Sasuke didn't notice these kinds of things about people. He grunted, paid for the night, and told the women who tried to jump him to fuck off, leaving a surprised group of glitter clad women in his wake.

But still, he didn't realise he'd walked into a whorehouse.

Women were always throwing themselves at him, what did it matter?

His room was surprisingly dazzling; vivid, rich red and black coloured the floors, the walls and ceiling, and he could only guess it was some strange local thing he'd never understand. It was a room, and his options were limited, so he showered, ignoring the tantalising scent of the toiletries supplied to him, and got ready for bed.

The moment he turned out the lights, Sasuke let out an involuntary gasp. The ceiling was mildly luminescent and he was getting the distinct impression someone was watching him. Cautiously, he checked the area for chakra signatures. When he found nothing, he shrugged it off and tried to sleep.

The first scream brought him out of his light slumber and his delicate world of denial crashed around him. He had dropped the henge protecting his identity, and in the first few moments after that scream, he feared it had something to do with the startled sound. But then it dawned on him… that hadn't been an ordinary scream. That was how he'd found himself finally figuring out where he was. And then it hit him in an instant, like one of those light bulbs hovering over a person's head in movies. And all of a sudden, he had an _aching_ conundrum.

The problem? His "next door neighbours" were having loud, disruptive sex.

His virginity hadn't bothered him before, not really. And for years from the onset of puberty, it hadn't been a problem. It wasn't like he was suddenly growing and realising he was a man, not a boy, as he'd never fully understood what sex really was. There was this one day when Karin had tried to seduce him, talking dirty and making him want to puke. But realising it was a necessary step in his second goal, Sasuke had done some research (_not_ confiding in Taka…). As it turned out, his body had a surplus of endorphins that were supposed to be connected to the act of having sex.

Okay, so he should've known.

He felt his face redden just thinking about it. The book he'd read had been well illustrated. Just remembering this, and the things he was supposed to do with his… well, for now he would call it his _tool_… Sasuke couldn't help the nerves wracking his body. He was nineteen years old, his hormones were only just now kicking in, and he was ashamed that it had taken him this long to realise he had any.

He considered himself smarter than that.

Sasuke snapped his head around as the female participant in the annoyingly loud sex screamed out words he'd only ever heard Karin utter before. It made him shiver. But then the low toned grunts from the guy, coupled by more screams from the woman (decidedly _less_ obtuse this time) made him wonder. Could he have that too? Was he going to be just as loud, or quieter? He wasn't a noisy person by nature… did that count?

Sasuke swallowed heavily as the woman cried out again, and again the aftershock from their violent encounter was shaking the foundations of the thin wall separating them from their innocently fragile ear witness. He felt a strange throbbing in his pants and looked down.

'_What the–?'_

After all this time of being oblivious, why was he getting this reaction now?

He did the only thing he could think of: he undid the tie on his pants and freed his member from its restraints.

"OH FUCK!"

He almost had a heart attack. That was louder this time, and it startled him. Calming himself, Sasuke reached down and touched the end of his _tool_, realising it had become noticeably engorged; his touch was also slightly painful. What was he supposed to do about that? He hesitated to touch it again, but the rational part of his mind told him it wasn't going to stop hurting on its own. Still, he was in unfamiliar territory – he wanted it to go away on its own, but the aching was overloading his common sense. His hand was twitching to relieve himself from the pressure.

Also, that book had mentioned something about blood pooling and pain being a form of pleasure.

So Sasuke gripped himself firmly without adding undue pressure, clasping the engorgement with his right hand. He let out an involuntary hiss that paled in comparison to the sounds coming from next door, but found that a little easier to ignore now. He moved his hand over his length, feeling the muscle moving under his grip as he attempted to massage the pain away as he clutched at the bed sheets with his other hand in a vain attempt to stall or diffuse the pain.

After a few moments however, it wasn't so bad and he realised it actually felt quite good. He stopped trying to rip the sheets and instead, his grip became stronger, and he continued to stroke his growing bulge. He moved his free hand between his thighs and closed his eyes, his body moving with the pace he'd unconsciously set. His thoughts faded away, and he moaned softly at the sensation.

All he knew for sure was that he couldn't leave this room in this condition, and he rocked with the instinctual movements – his body was moving of its own accord and the tightening of his muscles preceded an unfamiliar but intoxicating burning sensation. He was startled out of his reverie as he came onto his hand. The liquid pooled at his navel and Sasuke shuddered, torn between sweet relief and abject horror.

What had he just done?

His mind came back down to earth and he stared at the ceiling. This feeling of satiation was overwhelming whatever common sense he had left, but he couldn't help it – that was the most amazing thing he'd ever experienced. He wondered briefly if anything else could ever compare; the sounds from next door had long disappeared and he chalked the sudden, rampage of his hormones up to some kind of latent voyeurism – it was probably genetic...

But the most important thing was for him to get out of this whorehouse, before he did something he would truly regret.

–XXX–

Sasuke abandoned Taka. He didn't know or care where they were. They were no longer his problem, if the rumours were true – Konoha had them, apparently. He was sure Jūgo had gone quietly, Suigetsu not so much. And as for that annoying redhead, well, who cared? The only thing that mattered would be how the leaf used them to find _him_. He didn't want to go back, he didn't want to face the shame of what he'd done, no matter how much he regretted it.

There were some things that could not be undone.

Konoha had survived his attack and Tobi was dead… he had no-one. So Sasuke had decided to hit the road, cross a few borders, and find a place where he would be left in peace. He was, for the first time in his life, looking forward to the inevitable attention he would get from the adoring girls his age as he made for familiar territory. It was an area he'd frequented a lot, but never taken Hebi to, or had dealings in that included Orochimaru, Akatsuki, or Tobi. He would be safe here, safe to settle down and start again.

The only problem was that Kami had other ideas. Was Kami also fate and destiny? That would explain a lot. They _all_ hated him.

Not to mention the fact that, three days after stumbling into that whorehouse, he had a raging hard on… _again_. It had come and gone periodically since that day.

Sasuke groaned, sticking to the alleyways of the town he'd decided to hide out in before moving on – this one didn't have any brothels. He'd checked, double checked, and then triple checked, just to be on the safe side.

The leaf teams had picked up his scent (thanks to Naruto's sage technique no doubt) and the border to the land of rain was heavily guarded. Sure, he could take them all out easy, whether he killed or just maimed, but Sasuke didn't want anyone to know where he was going.

And, as he'd already stated: his _tool_ was begging for more release. It sounded so childish, calling it that, but he wasn't comfortable with the word "penis". Just thinking it made him shudder.

More proof he didn't know what he was doing.

And his hand could only ease him for so long; Sasuke was getting more and more frustrated. He wanted, no _needed_ a more permanent release soon, or he was just going to take some random stranger off the street. That hadn't sounded so bad in his head until he repeated it out loud, and he groaned again. He sounded like a lecher.

With a new henge on, he stayed in the shadows of buildings, and avoided crowds. It was while running away from the Konoha teams, trying to hide his chakra so he could get some time alone to do something about his most recent _problem_, that he saw her. That pink hair wasn't easy to miss in a crowd, no matter how multi-coloured it became. He couldn't help his first thought: _'Kami she looks good.'_

His second thought – one that was closer to constructive and not remotely hormone driven ‒ was that she had always claimed to love him. An idea struck him; a simple thought with far reaching ramifications. Before his rational side could talk him out of it, he left the alcove he'd been hiding in and watched in anticipation as she made her way toward him.

He hadn't seen her for a couple of years, and when his mind drifted, she plagued him; his thoughts surrounded the days that had led to his leaving Konohagakure. She had filled out, and Sasuke wondered if his new appreciation for the body of Sakura Haruno had something to do with his recent, personal revelations. His fingers twitched, one hand moving along his pant leg, fisting the material in desperate frustration and he fought to keep his grip out of his own pants in broad daylight.

So lost in his musings over what Sakura looked like under those tight black shorts, what naughty little sounds she would make if he ever got her underneath him, naked and writhing, that he lost all control of his chakra and his newest henge dropped away inexplicably.

Startled jade eyes met heavy lidded black obsidian orbs and he let out a shuddering sigh, giving into the inevitable. He growled. "Sakura."

–XXX–

**A/N: Slightly funny, but more **_**expectant**_** than anything. :) Can you believe I tried to distract myself from this? Note to self: candy is a sweetener not a deterrent. Love and review! ^_^**


	2. Persuasion

**Author's Notes****: This chapter's a bit more serious, I think ‒ like I said, I'm not sure about the genre on this ‒ but I do have funnies planned, lol. Next time... ;)  
And I meant to update earlier, but my sister finally had her baby, and amongst other things, been distracted. That and it's been friggin hot as of late (I HATE Summer) and that seriously slows me down… in every way. ;P Anyway, enjoy. n_n **

–  
**Not So Innocent**  
Chapter Two: Persuasion.  
–

There was a strange energy in the air. She couldn't pinpoint its source; only follow its trail like a lost lamb. Sakura weaved in and out, through the crowds and away from the congestion of travelling bodies. Her reasoning for everything she'd been doing lately baffled even her. Normally, she either had it all sorted out, or ran straight into it, not unlike Naruto – but either way, she knew her own motives. Her current mission baffled her however, despite the excuses she'd told herself up until now; she couldn't help the feeling that at this rate, she was just setting herself up to be hurt again.

That is, if she ever found her quarry.

That energy shifted and she adjusted direction accordingly, not missing a beat.

Only seconds later, she spotted the cause of her concern: there was a figure standing away from the crowds, staring straight at her. Without thinking, Sakura moved toward him, but stopped only a foot away, letting out an involuntary gasp when he dropped his henge and her childhood crush appeared in front of her. Her heart started to race and she forced herself not to run immediately – though in which direction her instincts would take her was anyone's guess. Sasuke was glowering at her and she recognised the intensity as the same as the last time he'd tried to kill her. She didn't see the underlining lust, her heart speeding up again as she debated her chances of survival if she attacked first.

She would go down fighting, but snapping out of her self-imposed reverie, she realised the surrounding civilians would be far too easy targets for the man standing in front of her.

"Sakura."

'_What the hell?' _

His voice was husky… unexpected. She took him in with her eyes, noting his stance, the way his hands were twitching as though tempted to grab his sword. The fact that he looked every bit as gorgeous as she remembered didn't go unnoticed. But no matter how absolutely delicious he looked, she had a more important decision to make. And whatever she decided to do, she needed to do it fast.

Sasuke wasn't sure what more to say. Sakura was staring at him like any moment he would attack her, or incinerate her and move on. Then she moved – and _fast_! The pinkette disappeared into the crowd, but the Sharingan wielder now searching for her unique chakra signature wasn't so easily fooled. He took to the rooves, ignoring the gasps of nearby civilians as his Sharingan was bright and visible for even them to see.

They didn't matter.

Sasuke remembered suddenly that the last time he'd seen Sakura, her genjutsu had surprised the shit out of him. He checked for a genjutsu and immediately dispelled it; she appeared in a flurry of pink a moment later and he darted toward her. She wasn't getting away from him that easily. He caught up to her outside an inn – what was it with him and hotels lately? ‒ and dragged her unceremoniously out of public view. No-one paid any more attention to them once his genjutsu went up and despite the ease with which Sasuke had found his quarry, holding onto her was becoming a chore.

Sakura grunted, kicked out at him, and yelled obscenities ‒ at least she wasn't crying. But when she violently twisted her wrist, he lost his grip and his decision on what to do next was made up when her now free hand flew to her weapons pouch; Sasuke reaffirmed his grip on her wrist, and pinned her to the alley wall before she could hit him. He wasn't in the mood for a fight – what laced his thoughts was decidedly more erogenous. But Sakura was lashing out again, not bothering to hide her sudden desire to kill him, and Sasuke struggled to hold her at a safe distance without adding undue pressure on her arms.

"Sakura," he growled. "Calm down."

Sakura hesitated at the sound of his voice, but immediately launched into a new string of curses; but she froze in shock when he pressed his body up against hers to still her movements. She looked up, meeting his eyes for the first time and felt her face flush in embarrassment.

"Stop fighting me," he said, his voice low; his face less than an inch from hers, she trembled. What the hell was he doing?

Sakura swallowed heavily, cleared her throat, and attempted to speak. "W-what do you want S-Sasuke?"

He smirked, twisting his head to speak directly into her ear. "You."

'_Oh Kami.'_

Sakura started struggling again and Sasuke let out a frustrated groan. "I said stop fighting me!"

"No!"

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes."

"No... Stop it Sasuke."

"Hn… make me."

Sakura stopped struggling again, a chill vibrating through her body as she realised with shock that Sasuke's eyes were dark, penetrating and heavily lidded… and the Sharingan had yet to make an appearance. He really hadn't been looking for a fight.

Taking advantage of her hesitation, Sasuke swept her toward him, wrapping his arm around her waist, and pulling her into a transportation jutsu. The next moment, when her feet hit forest floor, Sakura tried to push him away, but Sasuke wasn't letting her go.

He had no idea where he was taking her, only that he wanted to get as far away from their previous position as possible ‒ the chances of her having been in that town on her own were slim to none. Sasuke had images in his head of Sakura, ones that didn't match up with the feisty spitfire holding him as he took to the trees surrounding that civilian village. He wasn't going to force himself on her – no, she would want it as much as he did, that was for sure. She just needed persuading.

Sakura stopped worrying that Sasuke was about to drop her on the forest floor and just have his way with her, but the sight of a small town in the distance had her fretting again.

"This place was sympathetic with Akatsuki," he told her, as though reading her mind. "So they won't care if I drag you through the streets bloodied and screaming."

Not that he was going to do that, but he needed to impress upon her how futile fighting him would be.

This wasn't working out very smoothly.

There were a few safe houses set up here and he found one, on the outskirts of the village, without too much trouble. Sakura repeated her questioning of his intentions and he replied with the same vague answer, much to her chagrin.

The small house she was propelled into reminded her of the last safe house her team had found in their search for former Akatsuki hideouts. Sasuke wasted no time in pulling her toward the bedroom and a cold rush of fear swept through her.

"N-no," she whispered.

"Relax," he said. "I'm not a rapist." He set her on the bed but didn't advance on her. "You're going to be begging me for it."

She almost scoffed at his ego. "No, I'm not."

He smirked at her. "Yes, you are." He climbed onto the bed, pushing her onto her back; with his body again pressed into hers, she could feel every inch of his muscles.

Her eyes widened. "S-Sasuke?"

He growled, and she let out a small yelp as he kissed her. This man, this delicious, vicious man, was hungrily eating her… she moaned, pushing her head back and twisting as his body trembled against hers. She felt him part her legs and move between her thighs. He was hard. She could feel it through both of their clothes.

'_Oh Kami.'_

Sakura debated whether to push him away or not; he said he wasn't here to rape her, but if she continued to reject him, what would he do? She couldn't deny that he was turning her on as equally as she was him. This was completely out of control. As she mulled this over, she became aware of her body responding eagerly to his. His groans of approval as his fingers found her wetness were proof enough that he wanted her; she lavished him with kisses, all awhile continuing to think. How could she use this to her advantage?

He needed persuading. She could bring him home.

"S-Sasuke?" Sakura pushed at him and he growled dangerously, glaring down at her – still no Sharingan.

Sakura glared back at him, but her resolve was wavering – he could see it. She didn't want to sleep with him because he wanted her to… right? Kami, she was a mess. She wasn't that silly fangirl anymore, but inner Sakura was the epitome of it now, screaming in her head to take him now, hard, rough, and fast. It was enough to give her a headache.

And she _did_ want it. She would never not want Sasuke, in her own way. But this wasn't some hotel back in Konoha, or her apartment – she couldn't do anything except bring him back. He was strong, stronger than she would ever be, but if she could convince him that returning was the only way that she'd take him seriously…

Sasuke growled impatiently, pressing his hand against the small of her back, making her shiver involuntarily.

And now, it had become a test of wills. Who would give out first?

She gave in.

"Come home," she said. "I know I can't _force_ you to come back to Konoha," she said, her voice barely above a whisper now. "But I have other ways of persuading you."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows at her. "How?"

"By speaking your language," she purred, and his eyes widened. She wasn't giving into him, she was taking control – there was a difference. Who knew that _the_ Sasuke Uchiha would want to sleep with one of his former fangirls before said girl? It was an incredible turn on.

Sakura reigned in her hormones however, more capable of hiding her physical reactions than Sasuke was – she could see the way the subtle shift of his body was meant to hide his growing erection. She inwardly giggled at the idea of having more sexual experience than him, but wouldn't rub it in his face. No matter what happened, she wanted him to come home.

"Come home Sasuke," she repeated, running her hand over the side of his face. "Agree to come back, and I'll give you this night, no strings attached, and no judgements."

His jaw tensed and she saw the panic and concern in his dark obsidian eyes. If he really just wanted sex, he didn't need to screw her – she imagined he could have anyone that took his fancy. So the next words out of his mouth would decide both of their futures.

–XXX–

**A/N: Yep, cliff-hangers are evil. ;) Thank-you so much to everyone who reviewed the first chapter: I honestly wasn't expecting such a response. *blows kiss* I also need to say that this isn't going to be a particularly long fic. Originally, I'd sorted it out as 6 chapters, but this one (#2) wasn't on my original itinerary and more ideas have occurred to me since posting chapter 1, so it'll definitely be more than that now. We'll see. Frick it's hot... need a cold shower... toodles! ;P Anyway, love and review! ^_^**


	3. Hormones

–  
**Not So Innocent**  
Chapter Three: Hormones.  
–

"Yes."

'_Fuck yes… oh Kami, fuck yes.'_

The word hung in the air between them like a flame torch ready to be lit. It could illuminate the lust on his face or her fear over his response that she had been trying very hard to hide. Or it could light both of their worlds on fire.

He took the time to think it over, and he figured he could evade her in the morning if he really wanted to – it wasn't like anyone but Naruto could restrain him let alone track him. And the blonde dobe was nowhere near here – or anyone else for that matter. It was just _them_…

Sasuke had Sakura underneath him, right where he wanted, no _needed_ her, so there was nothing to lose from agreeing to her condition. He didn't want to think of the consequences, just feel the soft body of Sakura Haruno lose control wrapped around his _tool_… okay, he was going to have to get over the uncomfortable feeling calling it his "penis" gave him eventually, but for now, it would do.

Sasuke struggled not to shudder at that thought.

"Yes to what Sasuke?" Sakura asked, having finally found her voice.

He glared at her. She was enjoying this. "You know what I'm agreeing to."

"Say it," she warned. "I want to hear you say the words."

His pride was stubborn and Sasuke fought the urge to just push her away and storm out of the room. She frowned, and shifted her body slightly; her inner thigh brushed his groin and at his uncontrollable hiss, she smirked blatantly up at him. She ran her hands over his chest, dragging her nails down the fabric of his shirt, never taking her eyes off of his.

"Say it, Sasuke."

She ground her hips again, and this time, threw her head back, letting out a soft moan.

"Stop that," he said, gritting his teeth.

"Hm… make me."

"Sakura…"

"Tell me what I want to hear, Sasuke."

'_I want to fuck you,'_ he thought angrily. Why was admitting this so hard?

Speaking of which.

He was goddamned, _fucking_ hard.

It was _painful_.

It was very _obvious_.

He was raring to go.

And this pink haired temptress was driving him fucking insane.

Sakura kept her hands away from it, thankfully, just lazily running them along his clothed chest, waiting for him to give in. There was no way in hell she was going to help him along. Never before had she held _any_ kind of power over the "Great Sasuke Uchiha", and this was too good an opportunity to pass up. But he wasn't the only one nervous here – he just wasn't aware of it.

Sasuke growled. "_Fine_: yes, I'll return to Konoha… _Sakura_."

She didn't get a chance to make any more fun of him. All of a sudden, he was kissing her, his hands were everywhere on her, and Sakura had to mentally slap herself into gear. She needed to focus… he wasn't even naked yet for Kami's sake!

Sasuke wasn't thinking at all, which was a first for him, other than those moments this past three days, when his hand had given him temporary reprieve. They didn't count. Well, he wasn't counting them, out of pure spite to Kami, Fate, Destiny, and whatever bitch it was that had him in so much pain for three days straight.

He lowered his body onto the perfect contour of the soft body beneath him; his hips rotated and he instinctively parted Sakura's knees with his. He continued to smother her mouth however, echoing the sentiment as she moaned under his fervour. His clothes rustled as he ground against her, drinking her like a man starving and barely remembering he eventually needed to pull away if he wanted to continue to breathe.

When Sasuke finally came down from his high, Sakura took control of the situation, pulling his shirt over his head. He joined in, excited hands divesting the beautiful woman underneath him of her clothes; he especially enjoyed sliding those tight black shorts down over her hips, and had to restrain himself from tearing the fabric. Sakura helped him out of his grey high-collared short-sleeved shirt and her hands brushed his groin as she tugged on his pants.

He kicked off the rest of his clothes, quickly frustrated by the time it took to rid himself of the barriers (all of three seconds, mind). He wanted to get this started, and _now_.

Frustratingly, his _tool_ jumped and he tried not to stare at it in annoyance. Sakura didn't seem to notice – or just decided not to say anything, but a slight blush adorned her cheeks before he smothered her mouth once again. Every muscle in his body felt like it was on fire and Sasuke growled into her mouth. His hands wandered again, this time unimpeded by clothing and he enjoyed the feel of her soft, yet toned skin as he fondled her pert breasts and flat stomach muscles. It wasn't like he knew what he was doing, but pure instinct drove him on nonetheless and he closed his eyes, letting it take over completely.

Sakura broke the kiss, gasping. After a moment, she pushed chakra into her hands.

What was she doing? Sasuke frowned down at her, but Sakura just smirked. Her hands traced his body, and he felt a strange tickling sensation that could only be explained away by chakra, along his skin. She was using her chakra for _something_. He opened his mouth to ask her what she thought she was doing and she silenced him by pushing him roughly; her inhuman strength facilitating her movements, she shoved Sasuke, _hard_, and rolled him onto his back. Again, his questioning was cut short, and she crashed her lips down onto his. It was a deliberate attempt at distraction, and a good one.

So Sasuke decided just to go with it, gripping her hips, and pulling her naked body against his. Again she broke the kiss, seemingly happy that he was appropriately silenced, and Sakura moved his hand to her pelvis, gave him a strange look that bordered on "do it or I'll fucking spank you" and he took the hint, moving unassisted now, along the folds of her southern treasure. Sasuke's fingers curled inside of her, and she let out a long, strangled scream, her body bucking upwards at the intrusion.

Sasuke's hips jerked with her, and Sakura lowered her mouth to engulf him.

"Sakura, _fuck_!" He snapped out, not sure why she felt it necessary to suck on him when he was already ready.

And he came into her mouth.

_Quickly_.

Maybe that was why.

He wouldn't have been able to hold that back, inside of her. Gods, it felt good.

Her hands worked him over, hoisting him between her hands.

"Sasuke," she said huskily, and ran her tongue over his tip. It was enough, he was hard again, and she smirked. "Not bad, Uchiha."

He frowned at her, but she just smiled, climbing back up his body, her lips gracing his skin as she went. Sakura formed a few hand seals, performing the birth control jutsu she'd only ever done once before. She didn't wait, moving her hand between their bodies and guiding him to her. Sasuke was taken aback by her forwardness, but he wouldn't let her take control, instead gripping her hips and held her over his erection.

She seemed to like the way he was doing this; he was moving slowly but never wavered. He was concentrating so hard on his task that he almost missed the insatiable smirk on her face – it was here one moment and gone the next. He didn't dwell. Sasuke gasped and he felt his muscle spasm slightly as the heat now succulently absorbing him threatened to swallow it whole.

Kami he loved it. His skin was definitely on fire this time, his body moving of its own accord and fast. He didn't think to slow down, couldn't if he tried; this was heaven and he would die a hundred deaths just to know this feeling.

Sakura palmed his soaked, delicious abdominals, running her hands upwards and along the pectoral muscles, moving with Sasuke's powerful thrusts. She growled out her appreciation before taking the initiative. She held him down with that inhuman strength of hers, gasping as she attempted to keep his impromptu frenzy at bay. His body screamed at him painfully to keep thrusting, to drive himself so deep, so hard, and fast, and he couldn't control it. He tried, he really did, and it took Sakura's soothing voice against the shell of his ear, and perfect chakra control to keep him from falling over the edge far, far too soon.

He forced himself to slow down, to make it last longer; sweating and panting, Sasuke finally managed it mere seconds later. He was awfully proud of himself. But it didn't last, and he broke Sakura's hold on him, pushing her onto her back while still inside her, and immediately started hammer away. Her screams threatened to buckle what composure he had left; he rotated his hips mid-thrust, and Sakura writhed, her hips grinding his instinctively as she lifted her knees. Her toes curled and jolts of pleasure ripped through her as Sasuke moved his hips again; a smirk was working its way onto that godly face of his but she didn't care that he was the dominant one right now. Arrogance rolled off of him in waves, and the natural egomaniac in him refused to ease off on his torture.

Sasuke kissed her again, holding tightly to Sakura as he adjusted himself, instinctively looking for that one place inside of her he didn't know exist – that one spot that had her seeing white light and screaming his name harder and faster.

And oh Kami, he could feel it. It was coming. She was coming. He was almost there… his twin sacs tightening, his belly burning… and his _tool_ continued to spasm. He trembled, and violently _erupted_ inside of her.

Sasuke gripped her harder as Sakura trembled; she raked his back with her nails, making him bleed. Neither of them cared. She grasped his sweaty, toned shoulders and waves of pleasure continued to rock through him as he waded through, just holding onto what little sanity he had left before he came once more.

–XXX–

Dawn was approaching by the time Sakura managed to wake completely from her dreamless sleep. She was such an early bird these days that it didn't surprise her that she'd woken before Sasuke. Said man continued to sleep deeply next to her as she rolled onto her back, away from him. He hadn't struck her as the cuddling type, but she'd woken several times during the night with his arms around her waist, his legs tangled in hers, and him inhaling her scent like it was oxygen.

And the fact that it was very comfortable was slightly terrifying. She felt like the adult while he was the helpless child, suckling off of her… She rolled to stare at his profile.

Her romantic/sexual experience amounted to a chaste kiss from Naruto, a heavy make-out session from Sai and a last minute decision of painful blood loss from her ANBU captain. Her taichou had not come to her looking for a good roll, and she'd held no illusion of breakfast in bed after losing her virginity to someone so brilliant at being stoic and considerate at the same time. But he had been so completely, utterly and all-encompassing in his understanding nonetheless. Having left the idea of Sasuke magically returning to Konoha and professing his undying love to her behind, she'd decided to break that barrier and just get the damn thing over and done with.

Remembering last night's lustful, drowning stare of the last Uchiha, not to mention that glazed, penetrating look of his that she'd long since fallen in love with, she did not however, regret that night so long ago. She'd heard it wasn't uncommon for girls to regret who they lost their virginity to – she wondered if it was the same for guys. Ino wasn't the most respectable friend when it came to privacy, but she imparted more than her fair share of knowledge which, depending on the topic and Sakura's mood, wasn't always a bad thing.

And for reasons unknown to her, it was why she was glad Sasuke had been a virgin.

Sakura lifted her right arm to brush a strand of hair out of his face, her thoughts on the previous night. She would never have imagined he would come onto her like that, especially considering how he'd always treated her in the past. He'd been raging at her, wanting to sleep with her so bad it had thrown her for a loop. He had been innocent – she wasn't so stupid as to not notice his inadequacies when it came to sex. So he'd been horny, looking for an outlet, and despite the fact that she no longer considered herself to be one of the Sasuke Uchiha fangirls, she couldn't help but feel breathless at the memory of his body aching for hers.

She wasn't blind or stupid – what kind of idiot got a look at that face, those pectoral muscles, toned abdominals, and didn't get all hot and bothered?

Stupid people, that's who.

Sakura sighed.

And then there was the matter of how she'd "accidentally" run into Sasuke again, for the first time in two years. He'd taken her by surprise, dropping that henge right in front of her, and she'd panicked – she wasn't supposed to engage him if she saw him, only report his position. Sakura hadn't been in this village alone, by accident after all. Her instincts when it came to Sasuke these days, was to attack or defend; and now, here she was, lying next to him, both of them naked.

But her priority now was to get him back to Konoha.

After her fight with Sasori of the Red Sand all those years ago, Sakura had studied that jutsu of Lady Chiyo's. Since she'd only seen sand ninja wield the technique, she was starting from scratch on figuring out how to do it. But she'd seen it up close and personal, not to mention been the actual puppet, and she had her own version perfected a year ago.

Smiling at the raven haired man next to her (a wicked smile that twisted her features), Sakura tightened the chakra strings she'd wrapped around him during the course of their _activities_. She was ready for him to fight back, to struggle, once he realised she'd used his rampant hormones as a distraction to get them around him. He hadn't noticed last night, but this morning would be a different story. She had been looking through ways of trapping him since before this mission had gotten the go ahead, since there was no way she'd ever be able to overpower him. But knowing the enemy was the greatest advantage in battle – she thought she knew Sasuke, she thought she had him pegged. But this peaceful, naked version was so different to how he'd been the last time she'd seen him, Sakura didn't know what to think of him anymore.

Did he still want to destroy Konoha? Did he hate Naruto? Was last night just a release of endorphins that any old girl could've helped him with?

She _needed_ to know.

The better question played on the edges of her mind, heart, and lips: was she still in love with him?

She honestly didn't know.

Even when she told herself she did, a part of her didn't believe it. Last night though, she liked to think they'd connected; after the first time, when it had just been animalistic and instinctual, her lover (and that term turned her cheeks rosy red), had held her almost possessively. When it became apparent that his body still yearned for more, she indulged him some more; once he was past the first-time shyness, Sasuke even took the time to ask her what she wanted. He had been so attentive – it blew her away.

Absentmindedly, she tugged on the chakra ropes again, just to be sure they were in place, and gave in to the desire to rest a little while longer. She was going to need all the strength she could get in the coming hours – her _prisoner_ wasn't going to be happy about his predicament.

–XXX–

**A/N: Third time's a charm. First time I tried to post this, internet went into a hissy fit. Second time – last night – before I could even go online, there was a blackout. Yep, EVERYTHING died. The street lights outside my house went off too and I was literally plunged into darkness. Couldn't see more than several inches in front of my face. I took the hint and went straight to bed. It was rather late. ;) Anyway, here I am… again. So take pity and love and review. ^_^**


	4. Explanation

**I am soooo sorry for the late update! Please don't hate me. I haven't abandoned this story. See? :)**

–  
**Not So Innocent**  
Chapter Four: Explanation.  
–

Dreams didn't haunt him the way they used to. He'd had nightmare after nightmare of Itachi killing their clan for years, but drifting off next to a warm, naked female body instead of alone or on guard because a crazy redhead was watching him from across a campfire, was soothing. He remembered holding her, having slept for hours, and then woken briefly in the middle of the night. Sasuke had never felt this kind of exhaustion before ‒ tired yet peaceful at the same time.

And he didn't want to let it go.

Still, if he had noticed the restraints on him immediately, this would've proved a far more rude awakening. As it was, he woke slowly, and contented ‒ that in and of itself should've been cause for worry, considering his history. But Sasuke kind of liked the idea of waking up this way from now on. It brought an involuntary smile to his face, and he kept his eyes closed, just revelling in this alien sensation. Unfortunately, the warmth of the Kunoichi next to him had shifted and disappeared upon noticing his semi-conscious state.

"Sasuke?"

The soft voice had him opening his eyes and he looked over at Sakura, coming to the realisation quickly that he hadn't woken up first. Then he remembered his plan: to either have left before Sakura woke, or overpower her and take off then. It wasn't like she could stop him, and he had no intention of being brought before the Konohagakure council and humiliated, like he was sure the old farts were planning.

"Sasuke?"

The repeat of her questioning roused him further and Sasuke attempted to move. All happy thoughts fled the moment he realised he couldn't.

"What the _fuck_?" He tried to tug on his arm, rolling away from Sakura, but the action just wrenched his body, and he fell back, infuriated. "_Sakura_," he growled.

Sakura opened her mouth to tell him there was no need to snap at her when the Uchiha started trembling, his efforts to break free from the now tightening chakra bonds drawing her focus – he was panicking.

'_Shit.'_

Sakura grabbed him quickly, trying to diffuse the situation. It reminded her of their positions the day before, only switched – he was the one fighting now. She just needed to calm him down and explain things. So she spun him onto his back, swung her leg over his torso, and held him down. She ignored the fact that she was straddling a naked Sasuke Uchiha, not to mention now exposing herself to him again – last night had proven to her that she was far more comfortable around a naked Sasuke than she'd have anticipated. So she ignored her lack of clothing (though she couldn't see anything below his navel).

"What the _fuck_ are you doing?" Sasuke snapped angrily. He started to push at her, but the chakra strings kept him in place. Succumbing to his frustration, he growled and looked up at her, his eyes quickly reminding him Sakura was naked. He couldn't help the strange feeling that was now coursing through him; his pelvis was still covered with the tangled sheets, but Sakura's breasts were inches from his chest as she lowered her head to his. His eyes wandered. They greedily took in the sight of them hovering over him. And then he shook himself.

'_Right, I'm supposed to be angry right now.'_

And he returned to growling at the shapely woman above him, struggling in vain against his bonds, his eyes now avoiding hers.

Sakura stared down at him, her eyes wide in pleading. "Please Sasuke-kun, just hear me out."

Sasuke froze. Kun? He was surprised by the endearment, and suddenly torn between some weird sense of relief and the desire for the earth to open up and swallow him. It wasn't like he thought she was suddenly regressing into that ridiculous fangirl he had hated so much, but it scared him. Sakura probably meant well by it, but he just wanted to get as far away from the allusion of the sobbing thirteen year old who'd begged him to stay in Konoha as possible.

He looked up, into those bright, green eyes and realised something – she'd anticipated he'd go back on his word. It wasn't like he'd said the words "I promise", but he had agreed to return. It sounded so lame now, that he'd forfeited his freedom in return for sex. The hum of electricity that hung between them had been worth it to satisfy himself and Sasuke felt far more satiated than he'd been in months – sexually or not, given the givens. But he had anticipated that when the morning came, he could outrun her easily.

'_Idiot,'_ he chastised himself. He had continued to underestimate Sakura, and now look at where it had gotten him. He'd accused her of being weak over the years, never wavering, always callous. And now he had a weakness… her. Did she realise this? He wondered if it was too late to back out now, his promise to return weighing heavily on him and he sighed, nodding his acquiesce to Sakura. Obviously, she'd at least doubted the sincerity of his promise enough to tie him up.

No, she wasn't weak.

"Release me," he said calmly, trying to sound like this was just a normal negotiation.

"You won't run?"

He couldn't answer that honestly and convince her to let him up.

"Sasuke?" She asked. "Promise me you'll hear me out."

If she continued to hover over him, naked and teasing, he was going to go insane. "Get off me," he growled.

She looked slightly hurt at his tone but did as he asked. Sakura didn't release him, but she loosened the strings, waiting for him to sit up. He pulled the sheet with him (just enough to keep his lower extremities covered) and glanced over at her.

"If you don't cover up I'm going to jump you again," he warned.

Blushing furiously (there went her calm façade around a naked Sasuke), Sakura pulled on the sheet quickly, forgetting there was only one and promptly uncovered the suddenly amused Uchiha next to her. Instead of snapping at her, or teasing, he merely mimicked her movements languidly and succeeded in pulling her along with the sheet.

Sakura couldn't believe she'd just had a miniature tug-of-war with Sasuke over bed sheets and her blush deepened. She needed to get these reactions under control; she wriggled in an attempt to upright herself and keep from brushing against Sasuke. Her chakra strings were loose enough that he could push her off the bed if he wanted to, but after that strange display, he was actually cooperating. Sasuke suddenly found himself wanting to know what she was going to say. The anger and panic from waking up restrained had not disappeared – more like now hummed in the background. Curiosity was a powerful thing.

She cleared her throat. "Um, well…" Sasuke just stared unhelpfully at her, so she reigned in her desire to duck under the covers in shame. "I wasn't in that village by accident." She avoided his gaze, but could feel the intensity of his stare as though he was now glaring. "I was on a team that had been tracking you for days."

–XXX–

"Sasuke-kun wouldn't do that!"

The high-pitched voice was giving Sakura a headache. "Shut up you stupid bimbo!"

Karin's retort was cut off by their taichou's voice.

"Will you two save it for later?" Shikamaru Nara asked lazily. "We've only been together for a few days, and these kinds of hunts take time, so stop being so troublesome."

They were camped outside a civilian village – one where Karin said that Sasuke's unique chakra signature was especially strong. The fact that they'd needed the help of Sasuke's former rogue team mates wasn't lost on the current party – it consisted of Karin, Suigetsu, Jūgo, Sakura, Shikamaru, Naruto, and Kakashi. The copy ninja had only agreed to come along because Jūgo insisted only the Sharingan could keep him in check if he lost control, and this mission had been handed to Shikamaru initially. The reasoning behind both of Sakura and Naruto's presence was obvious.

Shikamaru didn't understand why either Suigetsu or Jūgo had been allowed to come – personally, they wanted to find Sasuke and help him understand he _could_ return to Konoha, but really, they weren't _needed_. The council had been dissolved and Tsunade had made plans for both Sasuke's retrieval and punishment – neither included execution unless the Uchiha attacked them, beyond reason. They hadn't seen him in two years, so predicting his reaction was going to be difficult.

"But that was so funny," Naruto whined. He found the constant bickering between Sakura and Karin funny, apparently. "One more bitchy comment and the claws would've come out!"

"And for the record," Suigetsu said, addressing Karin. "Sasuke _would_ just up and leave us. He'd done it once before, remember?"

"Then what are you doing here?" She snapped. "If you don't care that Sasuke-kun could be hurt, or‒"

"He's _fine_," Naruto growled. "Teme's tougher than that."

"Then where is he?"

"Avoiding you," Sakura said. "Why else would he have just left you?"

"I'll wipe that smirk off your face, pinky bitch!"

"Enough," Kakashi said, his voice carrying over the campsite, despite the fact that he hadn't raised it. "We've got enough problems without you two adding to them."

"Party pooper," Naruto groaned childishly at his former Sensei, moving from his spot next to the fire and dropping down next to Shikamaru instead. He looked between the two feuding Kunoichi over the course of the night, only pausing to sleep or take his turn at lookout. Once all bags were packed in the morning, and the inevitable argument started, Naruto pounced. "Kakashi-Sensei, we should go after Sasuke in groups, not all at once."

"Good idea," Shikamaru echoed. "Perhaps separating the group would hasten our search." His eyes drifted lazily between Sakura and Karin as he spoke. Whatever Karin, Suigetsu and Jūgo had negotiated with Tsunade, it included treating them like allies. The lazy genius had however, yet to figure out what it was.

The redhead nodded. "I agree – and I'll have Sasuke-kun back in no time."

"Fuck you," Sakura snapped. "I'm going to find him first."

"A bet?" Suigetsu asked, raising his eyebrows.

"You're on pinky," Karin grinned. She was way too confident – the smug look on her face bothered Sakura. "I'm going to find Sasuke-kun first, and then come back and wipe the floor with _you_!"

She stormed off and Sakura growled. Naruto caught her eye, cocking his head mysteriously, toward another town and grinned at her. He'd checked it out with his sage mode. Sakura mouthed 'thank-you' and disappeared in a swirl of petals, intent on her destination, knowing her team mates would give her some time before inevitably following her.

–XXX–

"You made a bet to see who would find me first?"

Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "It was in the heat of the moment: that Karin chick was driving me crazy."

"Hn."

She frowned at Sasuke. "How did you put up with her?"

"I ignored her."

"And when she jumped on you?"

Sasuke had a sudden urge to say 'I went to my happy place' but refrained. "I ignored her."

Sakura grunted. "For such a smart guy, you really did do the stupid thing when it came to fangirls."

"You're a‒"

"_Was_," she snapped, interrupting. "I _was_ a fangirl. And I seriously doubt even Ino-pig was ever as bad as that redheaded _bitch_."

And what exactly was the stupid thing? He didn't need to ask – she answered his silent question.

"You did _nothing_ about them," she said softly. Sakura sighed, holding up her hands in mock defence when the Uchiha growled at her. "Fine, mister perfect never did anything to instigate said fangirling and letting them jump on him without‒"

"Shut up."

She bit her lip to stop herself from giggling. He really was annoyed, so she resolved to never mention his fangirls again, at least until they were right in front of her. She looked down at her hands as Sasuke avoided her eyes, his gaze drifting out the window. The most important thing for her had always been about winning Sasuke over, and despite her dead fangirl ways, that need was still alive and kicking. She didn't like him being mad at her.

Making a decision, Sakura released the chakra strings. Sasuke had made her a promise, despite never uttering those exact words, but while she desperately wanted him back, she realised forcing him would only make him hate her. Telling him about Karin, talking about fangirls, and watching the way he scowled at every reference to said lunatics, she was suddenly terrified at the possibility that he would look at her that way again. He hadn't yet, since literally jumping her in that civilian town, but the possibility was there nonetheless.

The war was over, Sasuke knew now that he could return without fear of execution (though she hadn't said there wouldn't be _any_ repercussions, he'd clearly gotten the hint there would be – he had attacked Konoha, after all), and she was tired of this shit.

The removal of his restraints brought Sasuke back to his immediate predicament. He glanced at Sakura, and then lifted his hands, as though testing to see if they were actually working.

"So, what now?" She asked.

Sakura stared at him as he avoided her eyes, moving toward the edge of the bed. She realised he was still naked (how had she forgotten that?) and gave him privacy as he started to redress. She looked down at her own nakedness and sighed, following suit. Neither of them was blushing anymore, just remembering.

Sasuke was remembering his promise. Sakura was remembering her bet with Karin. And still, both dwelled on the previous night. This changed everything – from whatever stalemate they'd been in before encountering each other for the first time in two years. He wasn't the raging, vengeful Sasuke he used to be, and she was far from being the ridiculous fangirl Sakura who'd done nothing but annoy him.

"So, what now?" She asked again. And again, he ignored her. So Sakura decided he was going to renege on his promise and grabbed the bag she'd been carrying when Sasuke snatched her. "Um, I suppose 'goodbye' is the right thing to say," she said, watching his back as he continued to stare out the window. "Goodbye Sasuke."

Her hand was on the doorknob when she heard him move behind her. He grabbed her roughly, his fingers wrapping around her wrist as she attempted to squirm away. "No," he said. "You're not going anywhere."

"I thought‒"

"Not without me," he said, ignoring the way she was smiling at him, the renewed sensation _down there_, and the fact that she'd wriggled against him immediately, her bottom brushing his… okay, no… it was still a _tool_. Sasuke swallowed heavily, struggling not to blush. "I'm coming with you."

Her eyebrows rose and he realised how that must've sounded. "I mean, I'm returning with you."

It seemed he wasn't the only one with sex on the brain.

"Good," she said, grinning. "You need to keep your promises, Sasuke-kun."

"Don't call me that."

Sakura lost her smile and looked up at him thoughtfully. "Okay, Sasuke."

He was expecting more fight from her than that, but perhaps she was just grateful he was keeping his promise. Sakura took his hand and he barely had a chance to blink before she was dragging him out of this former Akatsuki safe house.

"Where are we going?" He asked, noticing that they were heading north out of the Akatsuki friendly town.

"Back to the village where you found me – Naruto is probably going out of his mind, looking for me, so he'll be there."

Sasuke growled, allowing her to lead the way, despite his better judgement. He had a bad feeling about this.

–XXX–

**Yes, Sasuke has to deal with Naruto now too. Reviews are candy, and delicious, and make me smile. ;)**


	5. Reunion

–  
**Not So Innocent**  
Chapter Five: Reunion.  
–

Lookout duty _sucked_, on so many levels. If there was a job that involved cleaning up after even Kakashi-Sensei, it would still suck less than this did. Naruto Uzumaki, sage extraordinaire, was reduced to... _watching_. He'd drifted asleep twice-the second time falling out of the tree he was currently sitting in. He hated this tedious obligation _before_ he trained at Myōbokuzan, and loathed it _now_. He wished he was a toad, or had the ability to transform into a toad. He'd be bounding over mountains in no time. Elegance, grace, speed, awesome power-they had it all. Hinata-chan would ride on his back and they'd…

Naruto shook his head. No, that looked too weird in his head, even for him. He settled for envisioning himself and Hinata on Gamabunta's back, heading off to some remote place, perhaps for some picnic, or day at the beach. He was just trying to remember what had happened that time he'd summoned Gamabunta in to the ocean when a familiar chakra flared, alerting his sage mode.

Right, he'd been looking for Sakura-chan. Damn that short attention span. _'How the hell did I become a sage?'_

He supposed if the goal was important enough…

Naruto's eyes snapped open and he stood up.

Fortunately, Suigetsu and Jūgo (okay, and Kakashi-Sensei too, but that pervert had been so quiet lately-even quieter than Jūgo-that it was no wonder he hadn't noticed he'd gone off with the others), were a while away-he could sense them, even from here. He had no idea where that Karin chick was, nor did he care. They were all looking for the same person, but Shikamaru was the only one who hadn't done or said anything about Sakura being missing, just going to sleep under a tree. He'd mumbled something about Naruto's sage mode and promptly dozed off.

Naruto used to go off at him for that, but he was kind of used to it now. And if pigs could fly, he'd have started training with Tonton years ago-Sakura had Sasuke with her! Naruto peered at them, the way Sakura was literally leading Sasuke, and the fact that the Uchiha wasn't complaining (though he did look rather like he was going to be sick any moment...).

'_What the __hell__?'_

He hadn't seen his best friend for two years (or almost; he couldn't remember), and this was not the way he was supposed to find him. Naruto watched them, hidden and wondering. They didn't know he was here, now standing amongst forest camouflage, his chakra masked. He felt robbed, watching them and thinking about his promise... and Sai's complaints about said promise. That guy was annoying.

And a truly devious thought occurred to him.

If he jumped up in front of them the way he was now, they'd recognise him. So first, he needed a disguise. An evil grin spread over Naruto's face. This was going to be fun. Naruto frowned, thought for a moment, and then transformed. The shift in chakra caught their attention-he hadn't bothered to hide it-and they stopped, unsurprised when he dropped out of thin air, directly in front of them.

"Halt," Naruto held his hand out. "That's as far as you go."

"You're not fooling anyone, you dobe."

Naruto twitched. _'Damn! How'd he know it was me?'_

"_Naruto_," Sakura growled out. "Drop the henge you idiot."

He complied, weirded out. "How did you guys know it was me?"

"It doesn't matter," Sasuke said quickly.

Naruto stared at him. The moment was so surreal, that he wasn't sure what to say. Nothing came to mind. But he did get this weird feeling that was getting more and more difficult to repress. It didn't reflect his happiness to see the teme, not really, but his need to put the doubt he had in his mind to rest. Naruto took a tentative step toward Sasuke, not really registering that Sakura had stepped aside at the same time. He frowned at the Uchiha, nostalgia bubbling to the surface the more he scrutinised his best friend's seemingly nonchalant expression. Sasuke was waiting to see what he would do, obviously, and Naruto decided just to do it.

He poked him.

Sasuke growled at him.

"Sorry teme," Naruto said softly. "I just had this urge to poke you, to see if you're real."

Sakura covered her mouth to stop herself from giggling out loud. Of all the ways for him to...

"I'm real."

"I know that now."

Sasuke had forgotten just how annoying the blonde was. He sighed, glancing at the pinkette, and shifted slightly. He honestly didn't know what to do or say now. This was rather anticlimactic, given their last encounter.

"I'm surprised you're back," Naruto said mockingly, his hands now perched imperiously on his hips. "You have nowhere else to go, huh?"

"Oh, so you _don't_ want me to come back?" Sasuke asked, forcing himself not to smirk. "Well, I can just leave now, if you want-"

The Uchiha immediately regretted his words when the blonde moron suddenly jumped on him. Arms flailing-really, there was no way to pull _that_ off with any kind of dignity-Naruto let out a victorious cry. He was so happy that Sakura didn't bother to try pulling him off of Sasuke. She just watched them tumble into a messy heap on the ground, with Naruto yelling "it's Sasuke!" while Sasuke was growling out "get off of me you idiot!" with as much dignity as he could muster.

"I got you now, you can't get away!"

"I wasn't running, you _idiot_!"

Naruto grunted, tightening his hold on Sasuke's torso. "Can't be too sure."

"Naruto, get off him," Sakura said, now tired of this.

Her words went, of course, ignored. They were in their own world it seemed. Sasuke taunted, and Naruto bit back quickly, completely falling for the bait every time.

"You could never have brought me back," the Uchiha grunted, when the blonde lost a hold of his arm.

Naruto growled. "I dare you to say that again!"

Sasuke smirked. "You're weak, and..."

The blonde didn't wait for him to finish, instead throwing his arm around his friend's neck and pulled; Sasuke disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Naruto groaned loudly, jumping to his feet and running at him. It wasn't much of a fight-Sakura just sighed deeply, crossed her arms over her chest, and watched as the two elite Shinobi acted like children. Naruto was not above pulling hair it seemed, and the pinkette was just wondering if she should give up on them both altogether when Sasuke brandished a kunai.

Where had he gotten _that_ from? It didn't matter really, since they'd both frozen to the spot.

"Stop screwing around."

It seemed only Naruto hadn't noticed their audience. Sakura was just startled that Shikamaru Nara would say such a thing.

"Are you going to be this troublesome all the way back to Konoha?"

"Naruto maybe," Sakura offered, looking over the shadow manipulator's shoulder, wondering where Kakashi-Sensei was. "You can let go of them now."

Reluctantly, Shikamaru eyed off the Uchiha, then Naruto, before noting that they didn't look murderous. He released his jutsu and sighed. "Just keep yourselves under control: I'm not a babysitter." He kept the Uchiha in his peripherals. Sasuke had seen it coming, not as _blindly_ distracted as Naruto was, but hadn't moved out of the way.

Interesting...

Shikamaru glanced now, at the now silent Sakura, wondering what had happened between them. Sasuke coming back of his own accord was one thing, but _letting_ himself be captured in a paralysing jutsu was something else altogether.

"How did you know to come here?" Naruto asked. "Last I saw you, you were fast asleep."

Shikamaru allowed himself a small smirk. "You two were making enough noise to raise the dead."

Naruto paled. "S-sorry."

"Come on," Sakura said. "Let's head back to the others."

She chanced a glance at Sasuke, but he looked completely unaffected by the reminder that he was about to get another reunion. Either Naruto was the only one he had been concerned about, or he'd seriously upgraded his poker face. So she said nothing, and just made sure to nudge Naruto away from him whenever the blonde got it into his head to try "accidentally" bumping into his wayward friend. Any excuse to try stirring up a fight again. Sakura made a mental note to have Hinata punish him for that.

At the rendezvous site, Sakura was glad Kakashi was the only one waiting for them. His single eye roved over Sasuke diligently as he explained he'd decided to head back to the camp, while Jūgo and Suigetsu-the latter, rather reluctantly-went to fetch Karin, who had seemingly disappeared for longer than she'd promised.

"Leave her out there," Naruto scoffed. "That's one less headache for the rest of us."

"Our mission includes returning them back to Konoha also, Naruto," Shikamaru reminded him. "The Hokage made a deal with them."

Naruto let out an exasperated groan and nagged the shadow user as Sasuke tuned them out. His former Sensei looked as he always did-bored and indifferent-but the moment he started to speak, Sasuke heard the slight undertone of bitterness.

"It's been awhile Sasuke."

'_Two years.'_

Sasuke couldn't vividly remember if he'd tried to kill Kakashi the last time they'd met, but figured, from the man's demeanour, that he had. He merely nodded. Sakura, standing less than a foot away from him, shifted uncomfortably. The two men continued to stare at each other, but eventually, Kakashi relented, and seemed to decide this wasn't the time or place to get into what it was he really wanted to go off about.

It could wait.

Instead, Kakashi decided to investigate a scent that had reached his nose at both Sakura and Sasuke's arrival. He sniffed the air: he'd been right the first time. He gingerly approached Sakura, peering at her. "You and Sasuke both smell... _different_."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows at him while Sakura immediately blushed.

Kakashi frowned, realising he'd been too forward; it wasn't like him, not really. "Sorry," he said apologetically. "I was up all night reading porn: just pretend I'm not here."

"Difficult to do when you won't shut up," Naruto teased.

Kakashi ignored him, whipping out his beloved pornographic novel, and leant backward against the tree next to his pink haired, former student.

Sakura frowned at him, wondering what he'd been going on about.

"You're so lucky _I_ was on your team, teme," Naruto growled, and Sakura realised she'd zoned out for a moment. "Or you'd be screwed right now."

"Figuratively instead of literally," Kakashi added, with a surreptitious smile, his eye crinkling mirthlessly.

"Huh?"

"I have a keen sense of smell," the copy ninja reminded him. "It's how I picked up on that Kurenai and Asuma had been going at it for a while before... you know."

"Huh?"

Kakashi rolled his eye (and presumably they _both_ did). "Never mind."

Sakura frowned at her former Sensei. He looked _far_ too pleased. Of course… she blushed when she remembered his heightened sense of smell. Neither she nor Sasuke had washed since waking up and still smelt of each other... She'd completely forgotten about that.

"He means sex."

The sudden voice only startled Naruto, but the pinkette was the one who looked the part.

"Suigetsu." Sasuke unfolded his arms and stared at his former subordinate.

"Fish boy!" Naruto yelled. "Look who's back!"

"I'm not a fish, you nine-tailed _freak_!"

"Yeah, yeah, go swim in a swamp."

"Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke braced himself. Suigetsu gave him a grin that made him nostalgic, and Jūgo nodded; both in their own way grateful he was alive and well. The redhead however, looked about ready to jump on him. She had the delusion to think that people couldn't notice her obvious attraction to him, so around others, she wasn't _as_ annoying.

If Sasuke had known _she_ would be here, he'd have made a different deal with Sakura. As Karin fidgeted, Sasuke glanced at the pinkette-her eyes were narrowed, the killer intent rolling off of her as she eyed the chakra sensor. With his newfound understanding of his body's hormones, not to mention finally accepting that he was a human being with needs beyond gaining power, he'd wondered what it was that drew people to each other. His attraction to Sakura was obvious to him now, and their history as members of Team Seven helped him see her as something other than merely another human being in his line of sight.

But what was it that made her different from Karin? Why did the redhead make him want to turn away and throw up? She'd been on his team as well, albeit for completely different reasons, and he'd actually tried to kill Sakura more times.

"Sasuke-kun..."

A shiver ran up his spine as he realised, in his musings, Sasuke hadn't been paying attention to Karin-she was almost on top of him.

Sasuke frowned at her. "Karin, don't get so close."

"Stop bossing me around," she groaned. "I swear, you haven't changed one bit!"

"Don't pretend you don't like it," Suigetsu teased. "We all know you're a slut."

"Shut up you two," Kakashi interrupted. "There'll be no fighting on this team."

The redhead snarled. "You're not the boss of me either!"

"No-one's the boss of you," Suigetsu patronised. "You're free to leave _anytime_."

She screamed. "And _where_ exactly would I go if not with Sasuke-kun?"

"Don't care, just stay away from me."

Shikamaru eyed off Sasuke's former team mates warily as they continued to argue. He rubbed his head gingerly. "Do you guys have to do this right now?"

"Yeah Karin," Sakura said happily. "No-one wants to hear your stupid voice."

Oh, that was it!

"Come on pinky," Karin snapped. "You and me, we hash this out right here, right now."

"Can I referee?" Naruto asked hopefully. He _really_ liked the mud wrestling idea. Maybe if Karin-

"Stop arguing," Sasuke said, interrupting the blonde's thoughts. Everyone turned to stare at him, but he no longer cared about the nervous butterflies that had been swimming in his stomach from the moment Sakura had dragged him into this circus of a reunion. "I'm tired of this. I'm heading back to Konoha, but if you two-" he narrowed his eyes at both Karin and Suigetsu "-don't stop riling everyone up, you can leave, right now."

Jūgo smiled. "It's good to have you back, Sasuke."

Everyone took Sasuke's outburst (for him, it really was, right now) silently, but as they were packing up what was left of their things, before heading out, the obnoxious redhead opened her big fat mouth.

"_Don't_ talk to me," Naruto said to her when she told him off for... whatever it was she'd just screamed, his face lighting up. "I'm picturing Sakura and Hinata mud wrestling and your annoying voice would just ruin it."

"_My_ annoying voice?"

The blonde nodded, and swanned away.

"Don't," Sasuke repeated, and Karin's retort was cut short.

Naruto hummed to himself, and smiled. They had Sasuke back, Karin had been silenced, and Hinata was at home, waiting for him. Kakashi made a strange sound, and looking up, Naruto noticed him staring... the blonde followed his line of sight just in time to see Sasuke sneaking a glance at Sakura.

'_Huh?'_

First Kakashi Sensei was complaining how both Sasuke and Sakura _stunk_, though _he_ couldn't smell anything different about them-they weren't impostors. Now the teme was acting like a human being, with feelings, and... He frowned, looking between the Uchiha and Sakura... and a light bulb lit up above Naruto's head.

"I knew you two were up to something!" He hollered, and seven sets of eyes turned to look at him. Naruto pointed two accusing fingers at Sasuke and Sakura. "Sakura-chan, you totally _fucked_ teme, didn't you?"

–XXX–

**Late update again, I know. This chapter didn't want to be written. And SasuSaku hates me.**

**Does anyone know how to search through the C2's on fanfiction for a specific fic? Not mine-that's easy. Just asking. Well whatever, you know the drill: reviews are my drug. n_n **


	6. Homecoming

–  
**Not So Innocent**  
Chapter Six: Homecoming.  
–

"I knew you two were up to something!" Naruto hollered, and seven sets of eyes turned to look at him. He pointed two accusing fingers at Sasuke and Sakura. "Sakura-chan, you totally _fucked_ teme, didn't you?"

Every set of eyes staring at Naruto now turned on Sasuke and Sakura, and he flushed at the blonde's blatant proclamation, rapidly turning pink, light red and then fighting the crimson blush currently threatening to line his cheeks. Even Naruto noticed the difference.

Silence... it really was golden. It was just too bad it never lasted.

"What's this, Sasuke?" Suigetsu broke the quiet, ignoring the tension in the air as Karin went rigid next to him and the leaf ninja were either shocked or apathetic. "You stop for the night to get laid?" He grinned, revealing his canines proudly. "I didn't think you had it in you. Is that what took you so long, Sakura-san?"

"Don't be stupid!" Karin snapped at him. "Sasuke-kun has never shown any interest in any girl, especially not one from Konoha!"

"A guy then," Suigetsu teased. "Maybe Naruto–I heard there were rumours about those two for years; that artist guy, Sai, told me he started them."

"Sai's a dead man!" Naruto hollered.

"Is that a confession?"

"It would certainly explain a lot," Kakashi agreed good-naturedly, before Naruto could retort. "I was always partial to the theories where–"

"Enough teasing," Sakura interrupted. Sasuke had turned positively crimson at Naruto's statement, but Suigetsu's comment left him in a state of shock that Sakura would have otherwise diagnosed as catatonia. If this kept going, the next emotion might very well be anger, especially if Naruto did what she thought he was about to do, and that was use his newfound realisation that Sasuke actually _did_ have some semblance of a sex life, to distract everyone from those ridiculous rumours.

She didn't feel ashamed of what she'd done with Sasuke, but this had the potential to escalate, and the heated glare she was receiving from Karin promised pain (it seemed that on some level, the red head believed Naruto's outburst after all). Shikamaru was the only one who looked like they didn't care–though Kakashi came a close second–and Sakura was tired of the idiotic theories coming out of Suigetsu and Naruto's vulgar mouths about Sasuke's sexuality. Why was it so difficult to believe that he had hormones?

Naruto smirked at Sakura. "So it's true? You–"

Sakura grabbed him quickly, covering his mouth (he kept talking however). "I swear, one more word out of your mouth about it, and you'll be _flying_ back to Konoha," she snarled at him.

Naruto smiled sheepishly, his eyes resting on her clenched fists, and nodded in compliance. She released him warily and he said, "okay Sakura-chan," before darting away from her.

As the only two to have remained quiet during that entire fiasco, Shikamaru and Jūgo finally deigned to speak.

Recovering from his shock, Sasuke ignored them. Shikamaru ordered them all to move out, and finally, everyone did as they were told–Karin muttering something about sluts in pink as they went–and Sasuke pointedly ignored her _pointed_ looks. Honestly, did she really think he was going to suddenly come onto her in front of everyone–or at all? If she was this angry, then he didn't want to stick around for the imminent eruption that was her brain. Around so many leaf ninja, there was little she could do about her obvious jealousy, so he gladly kept his own silence, and moved away from her as the group left the area. He did _not_ want to get into this with anyone, but knew that this explosion waiting to happen was going to blow up in _someone's_ face.

As they walked, the conversation continued, but in the form of Naruto and Suigetsu and their own respective love lives. Sasuke listened intermittently, therefore only catching snippets of their conversation, from Naruto proudly claiming, "I bought Hinata a string bikini for our anniversary" to Suigetsu stating smugly, "and that's why I never get drunk in unfamiliar places".

"I didn't realise you two would get along so well," Kakashi mused.

As one, Naruto and Suigetsu both turned toward him, bearing their respective canines with identical, wicked, and knowing grins.

–XXX–

The main gates to Konoha loomed in front of him and Sasuke hesitated, staring up at the eerily familiar red hiragana painted on green. He wasn't sure what the protocol was for a missing-nin returning to his/her village like this–no-one had read him his rights, or shackled him in any way, but that was probably imminent anyway. It was still eerie.

"Lady Tsunade is waiting for us," Shikamaru said, once the guards gave them the once over. "_All_ of us."

Falling into step between Shikamaru and Naruto (not that he had much choice), Sasuke allowed himself to be pulled into a teleportation jutsu–obviously to avoid the hustle and bustle of curious onlookers–groaning slightly as this took them directly into the Hokage's office. Silence descended for a moment, as the last Sannin quickly assessed the situation (Shizune stood in her usual spot, and the two of them had previously been alone in the room). Luckily, she hadn't been in the middle of anything important when they _barged_ in.

"Oh, this is not good," Tsunade said, standing up and walking around her desk. She frowned at Sasuke, who stared impassively back. "This is not good at all..."

"What's wrong baa-chan?" Naruto asked.

"Lady Tsunade made a wager," Shizune said helpfully. "She bet that Sasuke would need to be tied up and dragged back, kicking and screaming."

"So she's out a few yen," Karin said. "The important thing is that Sasuke-kun is safe."

"I don't kick and scream," Sasuke told the Hokage's brunette attendant, affronted by this slight on his stoicism.

"I believe her exact words were 'unconscious or catatonic'," Shikamaru supplied. "And I believe I won this one: I said he'd come back without a fight."

"I said 'not restrained," Tsunade corrected them both. "Kakashi?"

Obediently, the copy ninja whipped out a rolled up parchment and read out loud: "Shizune, for 'dragged back, either drugged or kicking and screaming'. Shikamaru, for 'without a fight'. Lady Tsunade, for 'not restrained', and Ibiki, for 'beaten and bleeding'."

"You didn't bet, Kakashi-Sensei?" Naruto asked, torn between indignation at their betting on the manner of Sasuke's return, and surprised that Kakashi hadn't put his two bits in. And since he was involved, why wasn't Ibiki here to greet them?

"Is this a common thing in Konoha?" Jūgo asked, while Kakashi gave Naruto a non-committal shrug of his shoulders as an answer to his question. "Betting on these sorts of things?"

"Depends on what they're betting on," Sakura told him. "Just last week, Kiba and Lee finished an ongoing bet on Maito Gai's love life–which really amounted to who would give in to his relentless and incredibly creepy stalking tactics first, the lady who owns the store next to the Yamanaka flower shop, or Ayame, daughter of the owner of Ichiraku's."

"Who was it?" He asked–he'd actually met Ayame, and was curious.

"Ino set him up on a blind date with some woman who knows her mother, and ruined it all," she said. After all, true love had a habit of sneaking up and biting a person in the butt. That had gone well, apparently.

"Down to business," Shikamaru said, hoping to move this on faster. He was bored the moment Sakura had returned to the encampment with Sasuke.

"Yes," Tsunade said, distractedly. "Your arrival is a bit earlier than I'd expected, so the council isn't ready for Sasuke yet. Ibiki will be upset he can't torture him, so I've set up a safe house off the beaten track for him to stay in until the trial."

"You're not imprisoning Sasuke-kun," Karin said. "You said you wouldn't!"

"She said she wouldn't torture him," Sakura corrected her. "Idiot."

"What did you call me, pinky?"

"I said turn your hearing aid up, _idiot_." Sakura couldn't help herself, and gave the red head an uncharacteristic smirk.

Karin clenched her fists, turning red and after a moment's hesitation (and forgetting herself), lunged at the pinkette.

"Karin, stop it."

The red head froze before she could reach pinkette, at the sound of Sasuke's irate voice. Torn, she huffed at him, said, "don't tell me what to do," and stormed out of the room. Apparently, she was allowed to. Sasuke suddenly (and finally) found himself _incredibly_ curious as to the deal the rest of Taka had made with the Hokage for such free range of movement.

"What a _bitch_," Naruto snarled. "If she touches Sakura-chan..."

Suigetsu just shrugged. "Eh, what can you do?"

"Nothing legal," Sakura interrupted Naruto as he opened his mouth to rattle off a few interesting (and clearly _extreme_) ideas.

Turning back to Tsunade, Naruto decided to forget the stupid sensor. "And how long is all of this going to take baa-chan?" He asked. "You said–"

"That he wouldn't be executed if he came voluntarily," Kakashi interrupted. "Not that he'd be allowed to roam the streets of Konoha free."

"But–"

"If you're worried he'll get hurt, just stalk him," Suigetsu said, snickering. "We all know you want to."

"Alright," Tsunade interrupted. "Shut up, the pair of you." She waved her hand and two ANBU appeared behind her. "Get out of here Uchiha–I'll send an ANBU when I've decided what to do with you."

The ANBU took Sasuke by the arm and Naruto let out an undignified whine.

Sakura watched Sasuke was again teleported away. She wasn't sure what to feel about the leniency of his treatment, given his status, but thinking about that discussion with the daimyo months ago reminded her that this had all been pre-planned. Only the daimyo, his closest bodyguards, the Hokage, and the team that ultimately tracked Sasuke down had known that he would not be incarcerated and tortured if he came willingly.

Sakura caught Lady Tsunade staring at her in the same curious manner Kakashi had looked at her after he'd realised she'd slept with Sasuke–what were the chances that her shishou suddenly and magically transformed into an Inuzuka and could now smell Sasuke on her? Not wanting to find out, Sakura made her excuses and shunshined out of the Hokage's office in a flurry of pink petals. She _really_ needed to bathe.

–XXX–

There was a peculiar odour in the air–one that Sasuke couldn't identify. He had a feeling Kakashi was nearby, but didn't get _where_ the unfamiliar scent was coming from. It was probably some ANBU, considering his status. It wasn't easy, sensing such a high level Shinobi, but he could put the entire core to shame if he wanted to. If nothing else, Sasuke was still far above them in skill–he had no delusions about that.

And absolutely no humility.

It was definitely ANBU... he turned his back to the sudden sensation of unfamiliar chakra (though to be fair, it _was_ well hidden, despite), and then tilted his head back toward it suddenly. Whoever it was, they were watching him _closely_. His Sharingan was inactive due to the new seal on his chakra, but he didn't need it to see the minute shift in the innocuously shaped shadow outside his window.

Yep, definitely ANBU.

Sasuke sighed. There was nothing he could do about it, so he just let it go, keeping the stranger within sight as best he could without raising suspicion, nonetheless. Any control was better than no control at all. He'd been set up in a small house–still only the size of an apartment though–out of the way of the rest of Konoha and freakishly close to the Interrogation Core Building (for a house, since that wasn't in a residential area), because of his "danger to the public". He almost scoffed at that–almost. Yeah, he could kill a couple dozen people at least, before anyone even got suspicious, but why would he? Think of the mess...

Under house arrest, he'd been lucky to avoid the prisons, and from what he'd heard, Ibiki was distraught over this. On top of the bet involving the Hokage, Shizune, Shikamaru, and Ibiki, there was apparently an identical bet going on in the Interrogation Core as to whether he'd be shackled or confined–Ibiki had lost that one as well.

'_Why did I come back?'_

Sakura.

Sasuke sighed, flopping backward on his bed, thinking about that. Why was it that someone he'd thought useless and unworthy of his attention, prior to leaving with Orochimaru, was now all he could think of? Instead of dwelling, Sasuke tried to get some sleep. He could be called back to see the Hokage at any time, and had no intention of falling asleep in the middle of his arraignment. It was dark outside when he finally stirred, and the clock on his bedside table told him it was actually almost sun-up.

He waited for the light to filter into his temporary accommodation; bored out of his mind, Sasuke decided to have a shower. As expected, Sakura poked into his thoughts again, as he washed himself, and was drying and dressing himself when he sensed another chakra in the building. This one was _very_ familiar. It was more of a surprise than anything–wasn't this too early for him to be awake, let alone functional? If nothing else, he remembered the man's penchant for laziness.

Exiting the bathroom, Sasuke fixed the man with an insolent look. "What do you want?"

Kakashi gave a half-hearted wave of his hand, and the unfamiliar presence that had been stinking up the air for over an hour instantly disappeared. Sasuke wanted to make some smart arsed comment about it, but couldn't be bothered. Instead, he waited for his former Sensei to speak first, realising that this was the conversation Kakashi had started before they'd returned to Konoha. And, a part of him was curious as to what he was going to say.

Kakashi broke the silent, staring contest with the same words his sensei had spoken to him after the first nice thing he'd said about Obito–post-Sharingan. "Was it the ghost of Christmas past or future that spoke to you?"

Sasuke snorted. "You still believe in fairy-tales?"

"Whatever do you mean, Sasuke?"

"Fairy-tales and teamwork," Sasuke said, walking over to his bed, lying backward on it, and staring dispassionately at the ceiling. "You never seemed to get either as well as you claimed. You didn't treat any of us equally and you know it."

"Fair point: why are you _really_ back, Sasuke?"

Sasuke ignored him, now closing his eyes.

"Is it Sakura?"

"Hn."

"It's just surprising, the idea that the last person to see you before you left being the reason you returned. Don't you agree, Sasuke?"

Sasuke opened his eyes and glared at his former Sensei. "What's your point?"

"As you said, I didn't treat you all equally: but your leaving changed that, and Sakura's like a daughter to me; a sister to Naruto. We don't want to see her hurt by you ever again."

Sasuke sat up slowly, watching the man who'd favoured him in his genin years, believing him when he said he wasn't as unchanged in the last two years as he'd seemed until now. Kakashi was (albeit subtly) threatening him. And he read the message loud and clear: hurt Sakura and die horribly and painfully. And he didn't doubt that even Naruto would help him.

They continued to stare at each other, the Uchiha nodding his head only minutely, to indicate he understood: message received, understood, and silently feared.

"Everything fine here?"

A familiarly obnoxious blonde bounded into his room, and Naruto stepped into his line of sight, breaking the staring contest.

"Yeah, all fine," Kakashi said. "Just catching up."

"Yeah," Sasuke said cautiously. "Kakashi was just telling me how much he's glad to have me back."

Said copy ninja snorted at that, gave a fake smile, waved, and shunshined out.

"What are you doing in here?" Sasuke asked, before Naruto could say anything. "I'm under house arrest, not hosting a reunion party."

"You call this a party, teme? Man, you're dumb." Naruto chuckled, his hands on the back of his head as the tension in the room had left with their former Sensei. "And speaking of–"

"No."

"You don't even know what I was going to say."

"I'm not having a 'welcome home' bash."

Naruto pouted. He pulled a few more faces, but when Sasuke ignored him, choosing instead to lie back down on his bed and close his eyes, the blonde changed his tactics–he'd come here to annoy him, after all. He leant over Sasuke and poked his arm. "Whatcha doing?"

"..."

"Sasuke?"

"..."

"Sakura lover... Whatcha doing?"

"Nothing, go away."

"Nope, you're stuck with me."

"Go find Hinata and leave me alone."

That was the wrong thing to say–Naruto could've slapped himself. The key to annoying Sasuke was right under his nose all along. He started telling the teme about his sex life instead. In order to stop Naruto's incessant poking he opened his eyes, and sat up.

The blonde just continued his tirade. "I asked her if there was such a thing as grape flavoured condoms."

Sasuke swallowed heavily, suddenly afraid of this line of conversation, and Naruto grinned; he checked once... twice... and a third time, just to be sure–no familiar, Sakura shaped chakra nearby. There was something he'd been wanting to say to Sasuke, with no pink haired, temperamental Kunoichi in the vicinity, and from their previous conversations, he just _knew_ this would turn him into a tomato.

"For my _penis_," Naruto said, sniggering.

Sasuke turned beet red and the blonde laughed, now unable to control himself.

'_Oh Kami, that __word__.'_

Naruto's next words were muffled as Sasuke grabbed him roughly in a choke hold; the headlock was as good as, anyway. He hadn't really cut off his airflow, and being the dobe that he was, the blonde flailed and made gasping noises anyway. After a minute of Sasuke murmuring obscenities and promised pain, a swishing noise alerted him to the fact that he hadn't been paying attention to his ANBU guard–shortly after Kakashi had left, the _smell_ had returned. The man came in through the now suspiciously open window (had Kakashi done that?), and stood in front of them–a rat mask... he'd have to remember that. Instinctively, Sasuke looked down at Naruto, who'd stopped pretending to choke and gone still.

Seemingly unconcerned by the strange position the two were in, the ANBU ignored the implications and instead addressed Sasuke: "The Lady Hokage will see you now."

–XXX–

**Yay! Longest chapter yet. ;)**

**Have I said yet, how much I love you guys? Well I do. Thank-you so much for the 100+ reviews–made me deliriously happy. You know the drill: reviews are my drug. n_n**

**Reminder: two chapters left.**


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